Apple has named John Ternus as its next chief executive officer. The company announced on April 20, 2026, that Ternus, currently senior vice president of hardware engineering, will take over the CEO role on September 1, 2026.
- +Meet John Ternus, Apple’s 25-year hardware engineering veteran
Tim Cook will step down as CEO and become executive chairman of the board.
Tim Cook will step down as CEO and become executive chairman of the board.
John Ternus was born in May 1975. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, which he received in 1997.
Before joining Apple, he worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems. Ternus joined Apple in 2001 as a member of the product design team. He has spent nearly his entire career at the company, a total of 25 years by the time of the announcement.
In 2013, he became vice president of hardware engineering. He joined Apple’s executive team in 2021 when he was promoted to senior vice president of hardware engineering. He reports to CEO Tim Cook.
In his current role, Ternus leads all hardware engineering at Apple. His teams work on products across every major category, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Apple Vision Pro.
He has overseen hardware engineering for many generations of these products. He played a key part in launching new product lines such as the iPad and AirPods. He also took charge of iPhone hardware in 2020 and Apple Watch hardware in late 2022.
Ternus has been instrumental in important hardware advances at Apple. His work helped the Mac category grow more powerful and popular than at any time in its history. This includes the transition to Apple-designed chips.
Under his leadership, the team introduced advancements in reliability, durability, materials, and design. These efforts have reduced the carbon footprint of Apple products and improved repairability. In the official announcement, Apple shared details of Ternus’s contributions.
His team recently worked on a redefined iPhone lineup, including the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, the iPhone Air, and the standard iPhone 17. They also advanced AirPods with better active noise cancellation and new hearing health features.
Tim Cook spoke highly of Ternus, saying, “John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor. He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over 25 years are already too numerous to count, and he is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future.”
Cook added that he is confident in Ternus’s abilities and character.
Ternus responded, stating, “I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity to carry Apple’s mission forward. Having spent almost my entire career at Apple, I have been lucky to have worked under Steve Jobs and to have had Tim Cook as my mentor.”
He described it as a privilege to help shape products that changed how people interact with the world. He promised to lead with Apple’s values and vision.
Arthur Levinson, Apple’s non-executive chairman for the past 15 years, also commented on the choice. “We believe John is the best possible leader to succeed Tim,” Levinson said. He noted Ternus’s love of Apple, his leadership, deep technical knowledge, and focus on creating great products.
The board of directors approved the leadership change unanimously. It came after a long-term succession planning process.
Cook will stay as CEO through the summer of 2026 to help with a smooth transition. Ternus will join the board of directors on September 1, 2026. Levinson will become lead independent director at the same time.
Ternus has worked closely with both Steve Jobs and Tim Cook during his time at Apple. His deep knowledge of hardware engineering and product development has been central to many of the company’s most important products.
As he prepares to become CEO, he brings more than two decades of experience building the devices used by millions of people around the world.
This marks the first change in Apple’s CEO position since Tim Cook took the role in 2011. John Ternus steps into the position as a proven internal leader who has helped shape Apple’s hardware success for 25 years.
